Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks

Arbeitspapier

We investigate the role of manipulation in a model of opinion formation. Agents repeatedly communicate with their neighbors in the social network, can exert effort to manipulate the trust of others, and update their opinions about some common issue by taking weighted averages of neighbors' opinions. The incentives to manipulate are given by the agents' preferences. We show that manipulation can modify the trust structure and lead to a connected society. Manipulation fosters opinion leadership, but the manipulated agent may even gain influence on the long-run opinions. Finally, we investigate the tension between information aggregation and spread of misinformation.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Nota di Lavoro ; No. 50.2014

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness ; Network Formation and Analysis: Theory ; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
• Subject: Social networks ; Trust ; Manipulation ; Opinion leadership ; Consensus ; Wisdom of Crowds

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Förster, Manuel ; Mauleon, Ana ; Vannetelbosch, Vincent J.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
• (where): Milano
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/101970
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET